LINKSVolume 15, Issue 4 – December 2014

Laurel

Dear Ursuline Educators and Friends of Ursuline Education,Sometimes I wonder if, during my years in education, I made a difference in the students’ lives. Have you ever asked yourself the same question? Has the witness of our faith been a grace to them as they face the inevitable difficulties of life?

That question came to mind recently when a woman who graduated from St. Ursula Academy thirty years ago when I was principal there was facing a tragedy in her family. As I prayed with her, her family and many friends, I wondered if her experience in high school was a help to her as she faced this tragedy. Did we have an important hand in giving her and other students a foundation in faith that would be a help to them as they faced hardship and tragedy in their lives? Did the words and actions of the faculty and staff give a strong enough witness of the strength that comes from belief in a compassionate and caring God? Was it strong enough to last through the years? Isn’t that what we strive to do as we prepare these young women to live as women of faith, integrity and courage?

And then it struck me – what we gave this woman and all the others before and after her class of 1984, in addition to faith, was the unique sisterhood that develops among the students fortunate enough to experience an Ursuline education in our Ursuline schools. This woman was not enduring her suffering alone – her classmates and friends had rallied to her side. She expressed her gratitude over and over again because her St. Ursula “sisters” were sharing in her suffering and in doing so were giving her strength to endure.

I’m confident that those of you engaged in the ministry of Ursuline education could describe occasions when you experienced the blessing that the sisterhood gave to your students and alums. I have been privileged the last three summers to hear the students who attend our Leadership Conference talk spontaneously and eloquently about the sisterhood they enjoy in their schools. And before the conference ends, they never fail to say that their sisterhood has expanded to include the students they’ve met from the other Ursuline schools.

In this issue of Laurel Links, you will see further evidence of the sisterhood in Ursuline schools. First, we are grateful that the Ursuline sisters model sisterhood for us. The employees’ response to the Annual Fund appeal at Ursuline Academy of Dallas is a concrete expression of the bonds of family that exist in a school that lives out the Ursuline charism. The unity expressed at the Athletic Directors’ Conference is another example of this family spirit.

The sisterhood that exists in Ursuline schools and among our graduates reflects the charism of St. Angela, whose passion for unity and concord among her followers stands out in her Legacies and Counsels. As Ursuline educators, we seek to deepen our passion for what mattered so very much to St. Angela so that we can enrich our students’ lives. It would not be enough for us to graduate women accomplished in the humanities, the arts, and the sciences without also having the richness that enduring relationships brings into their lives.

See how important is this union and concord; long for it, pursue it, embrace it, hold on to it with all your might; for I tell you, living together in this unity of heart, you will be like a mighty fortress or a tower impregnable against all attacks , and assaults . . .

Sincerely,

Judith A. WimbergDirector

In my travels and in interacting with educators and students

alike in our Ursuline schools, I have found that some are

surprised to find that Ursuline convents in the United States

have varied governance. The following is a short history of

how this came about.

Judith A. Wimberg

All Ursulines trace their origins back to Angela Merici and are committed to living out the ideals handed on through the centuries to them today. The purpose of this brief historical account is to clarify the two “kinds” of Ursulines who sponsor schools in the United States. Perhaps a brief history of how these different kinds of Ursulines came into being can shed some light on why these differences exist. The Ursuline communities sponsoring schools in Ohio and Kentucky are autonomous communities. The Ursuline schools in other parts of the United States are sponsored by the Ursulines of the Roman Union.*

The website of the Roman Union of Ursulines has this succinct history of the start of the Union of Ursulines:

In 1870 in Italy, the government began to confiscate Church properties. The monastery of Blois, France, came to the aid of the monastery of Rome. Later, they helped once again, this time the monastery of Calvi dell’Umbria, founded by Rome. The Holy See gave approval for a canonical union of Blois-Rome-Calvi. Then Leo XIII (through Cardinals Vanutelli and Satoli in 1899) made known to the Ursulines of the world his desire to see the Ursulines united under a general superior, resident in Rome. On 18th August 1900, Mother St Julien addressed a letter of invitation to all Ursuline communities. In response delegates from 71 houses (other accounts give the number as 63) met in Rome on 15th November 1900.

Thus the first “union” was among the Ursuline houses of Blois-Rome-Calvi. Mother Marie de Saint-Julien Aubry was elected superior general with residence in Blois. Pope Leo XIII, desiring the union of Ursulines, directed Mother Saint-Julien to communicate this message to Ursulines everywhere. This invitation led to the first General Chapter in 1900, where, as noted above, the superiors or delegates approved the constitutions, and the formation of the Roman Union of Ursulines, Verbal approbation of the Holy Father was given on November 28, 1900. Mother

Saint-Julien was elected as Prioress General. Her councilors were from Germany, the United States and Italy.

Further encouragement came from Pius X who published a Motu proprio in 1905 urging Ursulines all over the world to join the Roman Union that had just been formed.

Teresa Ledochowski, OSU in her book In Search of the Charism of the Institute, points out that the “actual making of the union did not prove easy.” She attributed that to the 300-year history of Ursulines living in autonomous houses dependent on local bishops, the national antagonisms that were strong at the time, and different opinions among bishops.

Those Ursuline houses which joined the newly formed Roman Union point to the unity so dear to the heart of St. Angela as its founding inspiration. Ledochowski expresses it this way: “Their ever-growing aspirations surely formed a powerful, spontaneous and charismatic movement which in the end gave rise to our own religious family.” She emphasized that the union of Ursulines was more than a just a change in government but the establishment of a new religious family which possesses a charism linked to the original charism of St. Angela.

Why did Ursuline houses in Ohio and Kentucky decline the invitation to join the Union of Ursulines? While each house had its own particular reasons, a common one was the desire to have their governing authority be close to them and not across the Atlantic in Rome.

Bishop Horstmann sent to the Ursulines in his diocese (Cleveland, Toledo, Tiffin, and Youngstown) the communication from the Vatican noting that the Sisters were free to accept or reject membership in the Union. In September 1899 by secret ballot, the Sisters in each community expressed their desire not to join the Union. Bishop Horstmann conveyed to Cardinal Vannutelli, the reasons for the nuns’ decision which were centered on the desire to maintain their established form of government.

In Brown County, Ohio, Bishop Elder also directed the Sisters to reflect prayerfully on the invitation to join the Union of Ursulines. The Superior, Sr. Baptista Freaner, at the Bishop’s directive, collected sealed votes from the Sisters and mailed them to the Bishop. All the sisters voted against joining the Union, with one exception, citing a lack of sufficient information to make an informed judgment on the question. Consequently Sr. Baptista and Sr. Fidelis Coleman traveled to Europe to find answers to questions about the Union. Unfortunately, the two were delayed by illness in

Venice and missed the vote. On March 17, 1901, back in brown county, Sr. Baptista gathered the community to vote on the issue of the Union. A great majority voted against joining, four voted in favor and one abstained.

It is to be noted here that the Ursulines of Cincinnati were not founded until 1910 by Sisters from Brown County. The leaders of the new community were Sr. Fidelis Coleman and Sr Baptista Fraener whose position regarding the Union had been decided while they were leaders of the Brown County community.

The Ursulines of Louisville and Maple Mount Kentucky point to their being part of the Congregation of Paris as the reason they chose not to join the Union of Ursulines. Communications among the communities in the Congregation of Paris recorded in The Origins of the Roman Union written by Marie Vianney Boschet, OSU and translated by Mary Magdalen Bellasis, OSU gives evidence of this. Several Ursuline superiors wrote opinions against joining the Union until the houses in the Congregation of Paris agreed. Others suggested that the Congregation of Paris form its own Union. Others had serious reservations about having a superior in Rome with local superiors being appointed by that superior, instead of being elected by the local community. The Sisters also wanted to keep their fourth vow to teach which was traditional in the houses from the Congregation of Paris.

To add a little historical contest here, after the death of St Angela, Ursulines spread to many countries in Europe. It wasn’t long before the Church decreed that Ursulines adopt a monastic way of life like other religious women of the time. The monastic tradition was that each house was autonomous in government, choosing their own rules of living and electing their superiors. The Ursuline communities, which chose not to join the Union, were choosing to continue Ursuline life as they had known it.

Thus we have groups of religious women who had committed their lives to God as Ursulines coming to different responses to the question put to them by the Pontiff, local bishops and other fellow Ursulines throughout the years.

How does this difference among Ursuline communities affect the schools we know today? The schools in Ohio and Kentucky are sponsored by autonomous communities.

Kentucky: The Ursulines of Louisville sponsor Sacred Heart Schools. The Ursulines of Mount St. Joseph (Maple Mount) sponsor Brescia University.

Ohio: The Ursulines of Cleveland sponsor Ursuline College, Beaumont School, Urban Community School and co-sponsor Villa Angela/St. Joseph High School with the Marianists. The Ursulines of Toledo sponsor St. Ursula Academy, Toledo. The Ursulines of Youngstown founded Ursuline High School and Ursuline Preschool and Kindergarten. The Ursulines of Brown County sponsor Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati and Chatfield College. The Ursulines of Cincinnati sponsor St. Ursula Academy and St. Ursula Villa in Cincinnati,

The Roman Union of Ursulines sponsor the following schools in their respective provinces;

Central Province: Ursuline Academy, New Orleans Ursuline Academy, Dallas Ursuline Academy, St. Louis Ursuline Academy, Dedham Mt. Merici Academy, Waterville, MEEastern Province: The Ursuline School, New Rochelle Academy of Mount St. Ursula, Bronx Ursuline Academy, Wilmington

Despite the decisions made by their foremothers over a century ago, modern day Ursuline schools ( and Ursulines themselves) are finding the ties that bind them are strong as all share the charism of St. Angela. The students who attend the annual Student Leadership Conference sponsored by Ursuline Educational Services express it this way: We love our sisterhood.

*Another group of Ursulines in the United States are the Ursulines of Tildonk, who have a provincial house in New York. However, the Ursulines of Tildonk do not sponsor any schools in the United States. Their motherhouse is in Belgium and they have sisters in Indonesia who operate schools.

In addition to the different groups in the United States, there are several other Ursuline groups around the globe. Of course, the Roman Union has provinces in all parts of the world. Additionally there are Ursulines of the Canadian Union and Ursulines of the Chatham Union (Canada), Ursulines of the Irish Union, Ursulines of the German Federation and others. So where in the world are the Ursulines – teaching, serving the disadvantaged and living their common charism?- Everywhere!

UES Board Approves Strategic PlanThe work has just begun. That was the sentiment at the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees of Ursuline Educational Services. Now that the Plan has been approved, the task of implementing the strategies will guide the work of the Board and the UES office for the next three years.

In approving the Plan, the Board also voted to prioritize the strategies. The top priority chosen was to devise ways to promote UES among its member and affiliated schools. How can UES best serve the schools and how best can it promote what it offers the schools. Board members Mimi Bishop of Ursuline Academy of Dallas and Jill Cahill of St. Ursula Academy, Cincinnati are co-chairs of the committee that will spearhead this effort. Members of the committee are Kim Harper, Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, Madonna O’Hara of the Roman Union Central Province, and Cathie Field Lloyd of Ursuline Academy of Wilmington.

Creating a process for evaluating Ursuline Identity in schools was chosen as the second priority. Once created, this process will be offered to school administrators for implementation in their schools. In discussing the proposed Strategic Plan with school administrators this all, Judy Wimberg reported that the schools sponsored by the autonomous Ursuline communities were interested in this service. The Executive Committee of the UES Board will undertake this strategy: Cathie Field Lloyd of Ursuline Academy, Wilmington; Rosann Whiting, Ursuline Academy, Dedham; Jill Hallahan, Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati, and Pam Mueller, OSU of Brescia University, Owensboro.

The third priority focuses on next steps after the Global Conference. The committee members assigned to this priority will seek to establish where and when the next Global Education Conference will be held. Other strategies under this umbrella include promoting international school exchanges and interactions and seeking ways to involve Ursuline students in a United Nations project. The committee listed above co-chaired by Mimi Bishop and Jill Cahill will guide this effort. They are also charged with the fourth priority: the DVD of St. Angela.

The Board’s Mission Integration/Program Committee has responsibility for continuing the schedule for yearly conferences offered by UES. In addition, the committee will promote conferences for affinity groups to be scheduled on a regular basis. The committee will also spearhead the creation of a Board training module. Two other efforts will be to increase the resources related to Charism and Mission on the UES website, along with documents describing an Ursuline educator. This committee is chaired by Judy Rice, OSU of Sacred Heart Schools, Louisville. Members are Dennis Maas of St. Ursula Academy, Toledo and Erin Zubal, OSU, of Beaumont School, Cleveland Heights.

The UES Board Governance/Board Development and Finance/Business Practices Committees have been charged with responsibility to develop plans for the wise use and investment of UES funds and to define membership terms and benefits. This joint committee is co-chaired by Joanne Kelly, Academy of Mount St. Ursula, Bronx; Jill Hallahan, Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati; Rosann Whiting, Ursuline Academy, Dedham; Mark Michalski, Ursuline Academy, St. Louis; and Pam Mueller, OSU, Brescia University, Owensboro.

The committees will report to the Board at its next meeting in March. Updates will be included in future issues of Laurel Links.

1st Row L to R: Cathie Field Lloyd, Judy Wimberg, Joyce Choquette, Mimi Bishop,Pam Mueller, OSU; Madonna O’Hara, OSU2nd row L to R: Mark Michalski, Dennis Maas, Jill Hallahan, Joanne Kelly, Erin Zubal, OSU

Missing from the picture: Rosan Whiting, Jill Cahill, Judy Rice, OSU; Kim Harper

Unique Annual Employee Giving Campaign Question: when is seeing red a good thing?

Answer: when employees of Ursuline Academy of Dallas wear red t-shirts to raise awareness of the annual giving campaign. These red shirts celebrate the significant contribution made by the faculty and staff of the school each year to a cause that is dear to their hearts.

In evaluating the 2005-06 annual employee campaign, the employee giving committee came to the realization that contributing to the school’s operating fund, while extremely important, was not a “cause” that inspired the employees to “dig deep”. They came up with a brainstorm that has transformed the

annual giving campaign. They decided to create a scholarship endowment fund that would be totally funded by employees. By contributing to this fund, employees would be directly benefiting a student who needed financial aid to attend the school. Approximately 25 per cent of their students need financial aid to attend the school.

A “name the scholarship” contest resulted in the choice of the “Employment Legacy Scholarship Endowment” as the name of their endowment fund. The first goal was to have the scholarship reach $50,000 so that it would fund an endowment that would pay out a partial scholarship each year into perpetuity. The first year of this new effort raised $9,000 for the scholarship endowment fund. Currently the fund has grown to over $147,000 with a 98 % participation rate. Gifts previously ranged in the $1-$10 range and now fall in the $20-$1000 range. A drawing

for a door prize is held for those who turn in their contribution on the first day of the campaign.

The final day of the “Employee Legacy Scholarship” campaign was November 14 this year. All employees participate in a dress down day, wearing jeans and their red t-shirt, both a celebration of the campaign and a reminder to anyone who had not yet made their contribution to do so.

This effort is unique to Ursuline Academy of Dallas, reports Mimi Bishop, the Director of Annual Giving and UES Board member. Over the past three years, a student has been the beneficiary of a partial scholarship, thanks to the generosity of the employees of the school. Mimi praised her co-workers for their caring and compassion. “Each person is a blessing for our school”, she said.

Athletic Directors Gathered in St. LouisJen Brooks, Athletic Director at Ursuline Academy in St. Louis had an idea. There was a lot to learn from Athletic Directors in the other Ursuline high schools, she thought. Why not plan a conference to get them together to share successes and challenges. She called Judy Wimberg, Director of Ursuline Educational Services, to ask if it would be possible to schedule such a conference. Judy readily agreed since one of the goals of UES is to foster connections and collaboration

among the member and affiliated schools. The next step was to form a Planning Committee. Mike O’Connor of UA, Dedham and Erin Zubal, OSU, Beaumont School. Cleveland Heights responded favorably to the invitation in spring 2013.

Planning was done via conference calls over the next several months. The committee agreed upon the topics to be addressed at the conference, generated a list of possible speakers, set the dates and the conference time frame. The plans came together in time to send out the announcement of the conference to the schools in early fall 2013.

The conference: Athletics in a Mission-Driven School, took place at Ursuline Academy in St. Louis November 20-21. Cathie Field Lloyd, President of Ursuline Academy, Wilmington gave the keynote address, acknowledging the key role that ADs and athletics play in Ursuline schools. Cathie told the assembled

Ursuline Academy of Dallas faculty and staff join together to promote their Scholarship Fund.

1st row L-R: Jill Hallahan, Assistant Principal, UA Cincinnati; Diane Redmond, AD, UA Cincinnati; Sara Ulrich, AD Marquette Catholic High, Alton, IL; Jill Bougher, Assistant AD The Ursuline School, New Rochelle; Gina Hartin, Assistant AD, UA St. Louis; Susan Heiss, UA Wilmington; Erin Zubal, OSU AD, Beaumont School Cleveland Heights;

2nd row L-R: Mary Gordon Stough, Assistant AD Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville; Donna Moir, AD Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville; Mike O’Connor, AD, UA Dedham; Maureen Kern, AD, The Ursuline School, New Rochelle; Mike Sipes, AD, SUA Cincinnati.

Athletic Directors that they held one of the most powerful positions in the schools in terms of accomplishing the mission. “You are the guardians of the mIssion,” she told them.

Cathie delineated how athletics teaches necessary qualities of leadership to the students: preparation and discipline, teambuilding, time management, handling their own mistakes, respect for decisions made by coaches and referees, and sportsmanship. Athletics is truly a “laboratory for teaching the Ursuline mission,” Cathie said.

Topics of interest to all athletic directors were addressed by the directors themselves: Hiring and supervision of coaches, strength conditioning, communication with various constituents, codes of conduct/ Athletic Handbooks, emergency plans and Booster Clubs.

A late addition to the agenda was a presentation by Molly Grisham, Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Indiana. Ms. Grisham invited the Athletic Directors to join #30 Days of Influence – A Social Media Challenge. The “challenge” is to commit yourself to being a person of influence by using all social media outlets to empower, inspire, and serve others so that everyone who reads your posts (and you) can grow. These purposes would govern

what a person would post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A positive post can be very powerful and help to make the world a better place.

This effort will begin in early 2015. Jen Brooks will keep UES and the ADs informed about the campaign, inviting all Ursuline schools to participate in this nation-wide campaign.

The conference received high praise from the participants. “i want to thank everyone for a great experience last week at the Ursuline Athletic Directors Conference,” wrote Donna Moir, AD at Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville. “The committee did a wonderful job of putting together presentations that were helpful and insightful,”

Maureen Kern of The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, NY added: “Thank you very much for the opportunity to share the common athletic experiences that shape our daily routines! I hope to use some of the information discussed in our own programs, and look forward to continuing the Ursuline connection in sports!”

Before disbanding, the participants decided they would like to schedule meetings in the future on a regular basis to learn from each other since there is a wealth of experience and wisdom in the group.

UES Sponsors Trip to Angela’s ItalyMaking plans for summer 2015? Why not take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the person and charism of St. Angela by joining other Ursuline educators in visiting the places where Angela lived – Brescia and Desanzano. In addition the group will visit Assisi, Rome and Venice.

Mary-Cabrini Durkin will accompany the group and offer insights into the life and charism of St. Angela as they tour Angela’s Italy. UES has contracted with EA Tours to conduct this trip. Details have been sent to the schools and are available on the UES website.

Anyone seeking more information can contact Judy Wimberg, UES Director-judy.wimberg@gmail.com.

Deadline for registration is January 15, 2015.

Newest Member of the BoardMeet Mark Michalski, the newest member of the Board of Trustees of Ursuline Educational Services. Mark is the principal of Ursuline Academy, St. Louis and has served in that capacity since 2010.

During his first months as Ursuline’s principal, he attended the Administrators’ Dialogue sponsored by UES in Dallas. The conference inspired Mark to add Ursuline St. Louis to the list of schools participating in international exchanges. He set out in a systematic way to establish relationships between UA and Ursuline schools in other parts of the world. Ilias, Brazil,; Bryanston, South Africa; Nantes, France and Indonesia are sites where these relationships are being established. The first step in establishing these international relationships is to send teachers to the school, followed by a group of students. A return visit to St. Louis makes the international relationship a real exchange. Participants in the exchange, and, in fact, both school communities benefit from experiencing the Ursuline mission as it is lived in another culture, Mark observed.

In addition to actual visits between the schools, Mark is also encouraging other contacts such as teachers assigning the same book to their classes so that discussions can be carried on across the globe. Students in history classes benefit from hearing different perspectives in discussions about World War II for example.

Mark sees more and more integration of these global connections into the classrooms as the exchange program develops.

Before becoming part of the world of Ursuline education, Mark was thoroughly steeped in Jesuit education. He was educated at Saint Louis University, where he earned his BA, MA and Ph.D. He also taught at St. Louis University High School and other Jesuit institutions. He was also a member of the Society of Jesus for eight years.

However, his association with the Ursulines dates back to his boyhood. He grew up on the Ursuline campus, skating on the lake and practicing grade school sports there. We’re glad he came home to his Ursuline roots!

Mark’s first term on the UES Board is for three years (which would conclude in 2017) and can be renewed for a second term.